Drive
by Hades Lord of the Dead
Summary: It's been over a month since the crash that left the Holby Emergency Department so severely shaken, and things are slowly returning to normal. However Cal has noticed there's still something a little off with his younger brother... Features H/C, fluff and gratuitous brotherly bonding.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm very new to the Casualty fandom, so constructive criticism is very welcome! This is speed written and unbeta-ed, apologies for grammar and spelling errors.

* * *

Chapter 1

It had been over a month since the car crash which had left the Holby Emergency Department so severely shaken, and things were slowly returning to normal. Jeff's funeral had been and gone, Iain was becoming a more familiar face in the ED, and Ethan had been back at work for over a week. Despite all of this, Cal had noticed something was off.

"Did you walk back today?" He asked, as an exhausted Ethan walked into their - apparently now-shared - flat. "Or get a taxi?"

Ethan eyed his brother, taking off his coat and hanging it up. "What makes you think I did either?"

"Your car," Cal explained, gesturing to the window. "It's in dire need of a wash - some of the local kids have been writing rude words in the dust."

"Oh, God - really?" Ethan hurried to peer through the window. "Wow er- wow. I'll um- I'll clean that up I suppose..."

There was a brief silence as Ethan continued gauging the state of his car, broken every so often by him bemoaning the mentality of children. Cal watched him, considering how best to broach the subject he really wanted to confront. In the end he decided to go for the blunt approach.

"So why haven't you been driving to work?"

Ethan stiffened nearly imperceptibly for barely half a second, before turning from the window with a feigned smile. "Oh. Er, I don't know really... I suppose I was sharing lifts with you for a while and then it was just easier to walk back."

"And when we've been on different shifts?"

Ethan's smile faltered. "W-well it... er-"

"Ethan." Cal looked hard at his younger brother, whose false smile slipped away altogether. "What's going on?"

Ethan opened his mouth - perhaps to invent some other excuse - but then he took in Cal's expression and his shoulders slumped. "I've... been having some trouble."

"Right," said Cal. "Get two mugs, will you?"

"Oh. Um, sure."

Cal filled the kettle as Ethan scrabbled around in the cupboard. "So. What kind of trouble?"

"Just since the accident I've had some difficulties driving again." Ethan explained, grabbing a couple of tea bags and looking as though he would rather be having any other conversation than this one. "It's not a big issue, I've been coping."

"By walking to and from work every day?"

"Not _every_ day," Ethan defended. "And actually I've started driving lessons. Trying to ease back into it that way."

They were both quiet for a few moments. The kettle boiled and Cal handed Ethan his tea, leading the way to the kitchen table. Once there, Ethan began to fiddle with the handle of his mug, staring at the table-cloth.

Eventually, Cal spoke. "What happened to you, a few weeks ago, it was- it was scary. I mean you could have died. So this fear you've developed is- it's normal, it-."

"I know," Ethan agreed quickly. "I know that. But the crash was over a month ago now and everyone at Holby should be allowed to move on - no one wants to hear about my problems."

"Ethan I'm usually the first to tell you when you're being arrogant, self-obsessed, stuck-up-"

"Not helping, Cal."

"- _but,_ " Cal finished, grinning, "in this instance, I'd say you've been very... um..."

"Yes?"

"Oh come on Ethan, don't make me say it," Cal moaned. "Very brave, alright?"

Ethan snorted. "I don't feel very brave."

"Maybe you do and you're just not used to it?" Cal suggested. "It's a pretty rare feeling for a swot like you after all."

"And Cal as we know and love him is back in the room," Ethan chuckled, taking a gulp of his tea. He winced. "There's far too much sugar in this."

Cal rolled his eyes, but ignored the insult to his tea-making. "How are the driving lessons going? Any progress?"

"No, not really." Ethan took another sip of his too-sugary tea. "It's um- it's a tricky situation. The instructors I've tried are..."

"What?"

"Well, they're either confused and frustrated as to why someone who already knows how to drive needs lessons," said Ethan. "Or I tell them why and they become unbearably sympathetic."

"Yeah, that's a tricky one." Cal paused, as a thought struck him. "Or maybe not..."

"What do you mean?"

A decidedly smug look made its way across Cal's face. "It sounds like all you need is a better instructor."

Ethan frowned, not getting it. "Do you know someone?"

"Me!"

"Oh." Ethan put his tea down. "Cal that's very generous of you, but I really don't think that's a good idea."

"I do," Cal replied easily, getting to his feet. "I think it's a great idea. Tomorrow morning, yeah?"

Ethan tried to protest, but Cal was already out the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning came far too quickly for Ethan's liking and before he knew it he was in the driver's seat of his car, which was still encrusted with the fouler vocabulary of the neighbourhood children. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his hands from trembling.

"Right, let's get this show on the road!" Cal exclaimed, dropping himself into the passenger side. "You ready?"

"Mm hm." Ethan swallowed. "As I'll ever be."

"Great! So get going then."

"J-just like that?"

Cal saw how tightly wound his brother was; the stiff set to his shoulders and the clenched fists gave it all away. "You can do this, Ethan."

"It's not that easy," Ethan mumbled. "It isn't like being frightened of spiders or- or heights. If I mess this up it isn't just me that suffers. I could hurt someone." He took a shuddering breath and squirmed in his seat. "And I did."

"Ethan-"

"I _know_ , I know you think it wasn't my fault but... I _was_ driving. I could have done something."

"That's ridiculous and you're an idiot," Cal responded immediately, glad when it prompted a smirk from Ethan. "Now put the key in the ignition."

"Cal I can't drive-"

"It isn't driving," Cal reassured. "It's just putting the key in the ignition. Then turning it. And worry about the next step when you get there - one thing at a time."

"Fine, but I don't like this," Ethan grumbled, getting his key ready. "It won't work."

"Yeah yeah, just get going," Cal said. "So ummmm... Doctor Hanna or Mrs Beauchamp, who would you rather?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on it's a valid enough question. I'll go first, Mrs Beauchamp all the way."

"Like you'd get the chance..." Ethan muttered, turning the key and checking his rear mirror. "With either of them for that matter."

"It's would-you-rather, Ethan," Cal pointed out. "It's not supposed to be realistic."

"You're genuinely disgusting, do you know that?" Ethan started to put the car into reverse. His breathing hitched a little as they started out onto the road.

"What about Noel or Big Mac?" Cal asked swiftly, and it had the desired effect.

" _What?_ Is this what you think about when you're on your own, which of our many colleagues and acquaintances you'd like to- to have your way with?!"

Cal laughed. "Did you seriously just say "to have your way with"?"

"Shut up."

By this point they were trundling down the road, Ethan's eyes flickering constantly from the windshield to the wing mirrors. His grip on the wheel was vice-like.

"No, no it's um - what's that word I want? It's quaint!" said Cal. "And you still haven't answered my question..."

The rest of the practice drive passed in much the same fashion. Cal wittering on about anything that popped into his head to try and distract Ethan from overthinking everything that might go wrong. The approach seemed to work - as they came full circle back to their flat, Ethan was totally relaxed.

"Well you're moving slower than a snail's great grandmother," Cal said as Ethan parked up. "But then that's always been the case, hasn't it?"

"Cal." Ethan turned the keys and the car engine cut out. "You are perhaps the most annoying, difficult person I have ever known."

"Guilty as charged," Cal acknowledged. "But do you have a point?"

"My point is... well, thank you," said Ethan. "I um- well it's a huge relief, to be honest."

"No problem." Cal's tone was indifferent but he couldn't deny the warm feeling blooming in his chest. "Only did it so you could pick up more beer if I'm honest."

" _Caleb!_ "

* * *

Cal was awoken next morning by his own blaring ringtone. After his driving session with Ethan he'd gone to get some beer for himself, then called up Max and Lofty to help him drink it. Ethan had been in bed early for his shift the next morning.

Cal grasped his phone and the first thing he saw was the time - 6:42AM. Then he saw who was calling him.

"This had better be good."

"Sorry, were you sleeping?" Ethan's voice crackled over the phone.

"What do you think?"

"I just wanted to know if you fancied a lift?"

Cal sighed and pinched his nose. "My shift isn't until this afternoon."

"Oh of- of course." Ethan fell quiet on the line. "I'll just leave you to it then."

The call cut out and Cal rolled over, eager for sleep.

But sleep didn't come. After all, Ethan had known they were on different shifts. Knew Cal would have been asleep. With a groan, he forced himself awake and grabbed his recently discarded mobile. He dialed his brother's number and started pulling on his clothes.

"Cal?"

"You haven't set off yet, have you?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

"No, I haven't. Why-"

"I forgot I'm um- I wanted to do a double shift today. I'll be down in five minutes, okay?"

Cal could hear Ethan's relief over the phone. "Okay. See you soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Neither of the brothers acknowledged Ethan's need to have Cal with him to drive confidently, but over the next few days Cal was careful to arrange things so their shifts coincided. Soon Ethan didn't need his brother there at all and steadily things returned to normal.

Less than three weeks later Cal was just starting night-shift, still hungover from the night before and longing for home.

"Hey Cal, do you know where Ethan is?" Lofty asked when they passed in a corridor. "Only you might want to tell him Mrs Beauchamp's on the warpath because he's late..."

"Really?" Cal felt a twinge of unease and had the sudden urge to go grab his mobile from where he'd shoved it in his locker (Charlie had noticed he'd spent more time texting potential girlfriends than attending patients and threatened to tell Connie if he didn't make a change). "I'll drop him a text..."

"Cal," Robyn came speeding down the corridor. "There's been an RTC just called in, ETA four minutes, three casualties."

"I'm on it." Cal pushed away thoughts of Ethan and hurried to RESUS. "Thanks Robyn!"

* * *

"Unidentified male, probably about 30, KO'd at the scene having been crushed against the steering wheel," Dixie said, wheeling the gurney down the corridor. "Sideswiped by a lorry, sounds like. He's having difficulty breathing and his heart rate's-"

Cal stopped listening. 30 year old male crushed against the steering wheel in a car that was sideswiped... that rang far too close to home. He glanced quickly to the casualty's face, caught a glimpse of blonde hair and his heart plummeted. Then he took in the other features and let himself breathe. Not Ethan.

"Cal?" Rita's voice intruded on his thoughts. Dixie must have gone already. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh... er, right." Cal took a deep breath and within a moment he was back in doctor mode, delivering orders and asking for scans.

* * *

"Dr Knight." Connie Beauchamp's icy tones were enough to freeze the spine of any man, and Cal was no exception. "I don't suppose you'd know where your brother is, by any chance?"

"Err..." Cal glanced to the clock on the wall. An hour into shift already - where the hell _was_ he? "I'm sure he's been called away on some um- urgent business."

Connie raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Very urgent, I should hope."

Cal cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll go um, call him-"

"No, you'll get back to your patients," Connie ordered sharply. "Or else you'll be in my bad books too."

"Right. Got it."

Cal watched her walk away and waited a few seconds to make sure she was definitely gone. Then he ran to his locker.

"Good God Ethan," he muttered, scrolling through his many, _many_ missed calls - all from his brother. "What have you gotten yourself into now?"

The dialling tone had barely started when Ethan picked up.

"Cal?" His ragged breathing was clearly audible over the line. "Is that you?"

"Who else would it be?" Though he'd never admit it, it was worry that made Cal's tone so irritated. "Look, Ethan, where _are_ you? You're an hour late, Connie's utterly furious-"

"Cal I need your help."

Cal squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I- I've had an accident," Ethan stammered.

"You crashed? Give me your address I'll call an ambul-"

"No! No I'm fine." The tremor to Ethan's voice said otherwise. "I just need some help to- to get to work."

Cal chewed at his lip, glanced around the locker room. No one was here to see him leave.

"Cal?" Ethan's voice had a hysterical edge to it. "I really don't want anyone else to know about this. Will you come?"

"Yes. Yeah I'm on my way." He pulled his coat from his locker and checked his car keys were in the pocket. "Where are you, exactly?"

"Well I er... don't know. Exactly."

Cal sighed. "Wonderful."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The evening chill was biting and Cal nearly slipped on an icy patch as he walked to his car. He wrapped himself further into his coat and tried not to imagine all the different things that might have happened to Ethan.

He didn't plan to be away for long - he'd just pick up his brother, make sure he hadn't done anything too stupid, and drive straight back to the hospital to finish his shift. A small, naive part of him had even hoped he could be back before anyone - most especially Mrs Beauchamp - noticed he'd left. Unfortunately the ice was having an adverse effect on traffic, and twenty minutes later he found himself stuck in a traffic jam, drumming the wheel of his car agitatedly.

His phone began to ring, probably someone from the hospital. He ignored it. A few more minutes passed in which he moved all of twelve metres and it started ringing again.

"Where are you Ethan," he muttered, glancing out to the oppressive darkness pressing against the window. Ethan said on the phone that the last thing he remembered was being on the A-road that led from their flat to Holby... he was somewhere near the T-junction, apparently.

With a frustrated huff, Cal rejected the incoming call - from Lofty, as it turned out - and sent a text to Ethan.

 _What can you see near you?_

A few minutes passed, and there was no response. Cal groaned - could his brother be any more unhelpful? He refused the new call coming in - Robyn this time - and dialed Ethan's number.

" _Hi this is Dr Ethan Hardy, please leave a message with your name and I'll-"_

"Dammit!" Cal jabbed his phone viciously and hung up. There'd been no dialling tone, so Ethan's mobile must have run out of charge.

He was coming up to the T-junction now, and he could see flashing lights. Cal wound his window down as he passed a few uniformed officers.

"What happened?" he asked them, trying to peer past at the crash site. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Driver lost control of a lorry," one of the officers answered. "Crashed into a car. We're sorry for the disruption, but he's trapped in there and the fire service are trying to get him out."

"What about the other car? Was the driver okay?"

"Taken to hospital a few hours ago," the traffic officer said. "Crushed up against the steering wheel, poor bloke... Can't say any more than that I'm afraid."

 _Crushed up against a steering wheel..._

Cal blinked. It must have been his patient from earlier.

"Are you alright sir?"

Cal forced himself back into the present - none of this helped him find Ethan - thanked the officers and continued slowly past the scene of the accident. He was about to turn left on the junction, when he saw something.

It was a tiny byroad, unlit and nearly invisible in the night, just before the turn-off. Inspiration seized him and, hoping his intuition was correct, Cal turned slowly down it. After his earlier slip on the ice he knew there was no such thing as being too careful in this weather.

Ethan's car was halfway down the road, its front wheels in a ditch and the engine cut. Cal parked his own haphazardly and, with what he would call a "brisk walk" but many others would label "a panicked sprint", went over to wrench open the passenger door to Ethan's car.

It was dark inside, but Cal could see the shadowy outline of his brother behind the steering wheel.

"Ethan?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

There was no response, except for some jerky breathing.

"Ethan!" Cal reached out and touched his brother's shoulder.

Ethan jumped.

"Are you with me?"

"Y-yes of course," he stuttered. "Sorry. Sorry I just..." His voice trailed away

"No problem," Cal said, but he was more than a little worried about how cold it was in Ethan's car. How long had he been sitting here? "Let's get you out of here and then you can tell me exactly what happened."

In the warmth and light of Cal's car, he was finally able to look his brother over. Ethan's eyes were distant, his face pale and there was a gash on his forehead. Aside from all that he must have been freezing, dressed only in his scrubs.

"What happened to your regular clothes?" Cal reached his hand behind and scrabbled around the backseat. He knew there was a jumper there somewhere... "Ethan?"

Again, his brother seemed to jolt out of his thoughts. "Oh um - I left the flat late, decided I'd save time..."

"And what a great idea that turned out to be." Cal gave up on the jumper, and started taking his own coat off instead. "Put this on."

It was perhaps a testimony to just how out of sorts Ethan was that he didn't protest that the coat was too long and his shoulders too broad as Cal wrapped the garment around him. The cut on his head dripped sluggishly.

"Let me take a look," Cal ordered, pulling out a First Aid kit from the glove compartment. He pulled out a pen torch and shone the light in Ethan's eyes. "Dilation is normal... did you lose consciousness at all?"

"No, I don't think so." Ethan winced as Cal started on cleaning the wound. "I just banged my head against the window..."

"Right." Cal started applying some gauze. "So what happened? What were you doing down this creepy road?"

Ethan managed to huff a laugh at that. "Yes I suppose it is rather creepy." His voice became quiet. "There was a lorry on the main road it was driving behind me and I- I panicked. I know it's stupid."

"It's not stupid." Cal finished securing the gauze with a piece of surgical tape. He had no way of knowing if the lorry behind Ethan was the same that had lost control and caused the accident - at that moment, it didn't matter. "But it still doesn't explain how you ended up driving into a ditch?"

"It... it was dark and-" Ethan swallowed and his breathing grew shallower. "I don't know. I couldn't do anything, the car kept sliding, I-"

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down - it was probably just some ice. Not your fault." Cal reached a hand to lift his coat back up where it had slipped from Ethan's shoulder. "Keep that on okay? You're freezing."

"Sorry," Ethan mumbled. His gaze was growing distant and he leant back into his seat. "Is Mrs Beauchamp angry?"

"Er..." Cal's phone started ringing again. "Maybe let's not think about that. When we get you checked into the ED I'm sure she won't-"

"No!" Ethan sat ramrod straight. "No, I'm _fine_!"

"But-"

" _Please._ " Ethan looked to his brother with wide, pleading eyes. "No one can know about this. I can't be admitted as a patient, I just can't."

Cal opened his mouth to argue, but his phone was still blaring out. He gave in.

"Hello?"

"Cal!" It was Max. "Where are you? T-Rex is on the rampage."

Cal sighed. "Yeah um..."

"First Ethan, now you - what's going on?"

"Yeah I'm bringing Ethan in."

"What happened?! Is he okay?"

"Cal," Ethan whispered desperately. "Please don't."

"Um..." Cal hesitated. "He's fine, his car just broke down and there was a tonne of traffic. We'll be there in half an hour."

"Thank you," Ethan said sincerely when Cal hung up.

Cal said nothing. There was no way Ethan was working tonight - but how exactly was he going to persuade his brother of that?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Finally!" Louise was the first one to greet them when Cal and Ethan entered the hospital. "Where have you two been?"

"Cal! Ethan!" It was Lofty next, closely followed by Robyn as they came to drop some paperwork in at the front desk. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Yeah um, car troubles," Cal explained with a disarming grin. "Turns out neither of us know the first thing about engines..."

"What, manly men like you Cal?" Max jibed as he wheeled an elderly patient past. "And uh, heads up - Charlie's on his way."

Robyn and Lofty exchanged a look, then said in sync, "Good luck!"

"Where the _hell_ have you two been?" Charlie was furious. Robyn spared Cal a commiseratory look before she and Lofty disappeared around the corner "We're over-running with patients and two of our doctors go AWOL!"

"Charlie-"

"This is unacceptable!"

"Charlie I-"

"What were you thinking?"

"Charlie!" Cal hissed, forestalling the tirade. "I'm sorry, but-"

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't even _begin_ to cut it-"

" _Charlie._ " Cal looked him dead in the eye, trying his hardest to communicate what he wanted in a look. "We really need to see Mrs Beauchamp. Do you know where she is?"

Charlie frowned in confusion. Then his eyes slid over to Ethan, who stood beside his brother with a decidedly spaced-out expression and a gauze pad on his forehead that barely stood out against the stark paleness of his face.

"Are you alright Ethan?"

"Hm?" Ethan smiled absentmindedly. "Yes of course! Sorry, what were you saying?"

Charlie's eyes flickered to Cal's pleading gaze, then back to Ethan's mildly bemused one. For the first time he noticed the young doctor was trembling, from cold or shock it was hard to tell, and that the reason his coat fit so badly was because it was his brother's.

"I was just saying that Mrs Beauchamp wants to see you both," he answered slowly, with a pointed look to Cal. "She's in her office."

" _Thank you,_ " Cal mouthed, and they went off in that direction.

* * *

"Doctor Knight and Doctor Hardy." Connie's stare was unforgiving. "You're lucky to have caught me here - I've spent most of the night in cubicles, trying to treat your combined patient loads. Care to explain?"

"Well-"

"We'll hear from Doctor Hardy first, thank you."

"I- I'm very sorry," Ethan said. "I- um, my car broke down. And Cal - er, Doctor Knight - came to pick me up."

Connie's stare didn't let up. Ethan gulped.

Eventually the silence grew too much for Cal. "Ethan drove his car into a ditch."

" _Cal!"_

"That certainly explains the gauze," Connie said. "Why didn't you call an ambulance? Instead of utilising your brother?"

Ethan struggled for an answer. "Um. Well, yes. Yes I... um..."

"We're going to have to tell her." Ethan glared fiercely at Cal. "Come on - what do you expect if you lie that appallingly?"

"He has a point. The truth, please Doctor Hardy."

"Fine," Ethan assented unhappily.

Over the next few minutes Cal and Ethan - though mostly Cal, owing to Ethan's embarrassment - updated Connie on everything that had been happening. She listened without comment, face unreadable.

When the whole account had drawn to a close, Ethan began to apologise profusely for the trouble he'd caused. "I'm happy to finish this shift-"

"No, Ethan I really don't think that's a good idea-"

"-and I can start straight away," Ethan ended, ignoring Cal. "If that's alright, Mrs Beauchamp?"

Her eyes travelled shrewdly between the two brothers in much the same way Charlie's had earlier.

"No," she said after a moment. "The shift's almost over, just go home. Feel free to use my office if you need it." She stood to leave. "Dr Knight, might I have a word outside?"

"Um, sure."

They both left the office. Connie waited for the door to close before quietly asking, "Does he need treatment?"

"No, I don't think so. He hit his head but he wasn't unconscious and his pupils are responding normally to light."

Connie nodded. "Good. I don't imagine I need to tell you to keep a close eye on him tonight, in case anything changes?"

"No, Mrs Beauchamp."

"Excellent." She hesitated a moment, then added, "I'm sorry to say your RTC patient went into cardiac arrest. We couldn't get any output."

"What?!"

"It was no one's fault," she continued. "But you should know for the Morbidity and Mortality conference next week."

"Right." Cal took this information in for a few seconds. "Was- was it because I left?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Doctor Knight," Connie responded and for once he was grateful for her harsh words. "If I couldn't save him you certainly couldn't. Look after your brother - I'd recommend some sweet tea." With those final words and a few decisive clicks of her high heels she swept away.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Here." Ethan's eyes fluttered open - he wasn't too sure when he'd closed them - as a cup of steaming tea was pushed into his hands. "Nice and sugary, just for you."

"Haha," he deadpanned, but took a sip anyway. "Thank you, Cal."

"For slowly giving you diabetes?"

Ethan huffed a laugh. "No. Not that. But um... you know."

Cal shrugged. "It's not a problem. Need you at your best to drive us home."

"What?" Ethan's head shot up."M-me?"

"Just drink your tea. One step at a time, remember?"

Ethan stared helplessly and for a moment Cal considered giving in and driving them back himself. His RTC patient - the one who had died... tweak a few details and it could have been Ethan. It practically _was_ him, just a couple of months ago.

"Cal-"

"Drink up," Cal insisted. This would be better for Ethan in the long run; sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind. "Go on."

* * *

The return journey was nerve-wracking and slow - the roads were still dark and icy - but eventually they made it home.

"Good job." Cal clapped his brother on the shoulder when they had finally managed to park. "Still _unbearable_ slow of course... How are you feeling?"

Ethan practically flew out of the car and Cal groaned. That had gone about as well as expected.

* * *

Ethan flung Cal's car keys onto the table and hurried to his room to get changed into his pyjamas. The very worst of his worst shifts had never gotten him so wound up as the time he'd spent driving back from the hospital, even with Cal muttering nonsense in his ear the whole time. Exhausted as he felt, he knew there was no way he was getting to sleep any time soon.

There was a knock at his bedroom door. Cal's muffled voice drifted through. "Are you ok?"

Ethan opened his mouth to answer "yes" - but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I ran you a bath." Cal said after a few moments in which Ethan didn't speak.

Ethan's forehead creased in confusion. "You what?"

"I ran you a-"

"No, no I- I heard you," Ethan mumbled, more to himself than Cal. "I was just surprised."

Another silence.

"So... can I come in?"

"Yes, yes of course." Ethan physically shook himself, then went to open the door. "Sorry I was... um..."

"Here you go," Cal thrust him a towel and a bottle of bubble bath. "Water's getting cold."

* * *

Cal didn't mean to fall asleep, but the stressful search for his brother had left him bone weary. Before he knew it he had woken up on the sofa, with little idea of how much time had passed. He stumbled to Ethan's bedroom and opened the door.

"You okay?" He grunted sleepily, then saw the bed was empty. A horrendous thought came to him and his eyes widened. "Oh no."

This time he went to the bathroom door and knocked. "Ethan?" There was no answer so he pounded harder. "Come on Ethan wake up! If you've gotten a brain hemorrhage and drowned in there then Mrs Beauchamp's going to see what a horrible doctor I am... Ethan?"

The door opened. Ethan stood there looking sheepish, his hand cinching a towel around his waist, the skin on it wrinkled and prune-like. "I think I fell asleep."

"Yeah you and me both," Cal yawned. "Feel better?"

"Much, thank you."

Cal nodded slowly, casting a critical gaze over his brother. "Go get changed and I'll re-apply the gauze on your head, yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Mm... g'way." There was an unbearable pressure on Ethan's his forehead, exacerbated by the irritating pair of hands pushing down on it . "Cal..."

"Not much longer Nibbles. Trust you to fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow." The pressure relented. "At least you'd gotten your pyjamas on, that's all I can say."

"'M cold," Ethan complained.

"Should have gotten under your quilt then, shouldn't you?"

An inaudible, sleepy mutter was Ethan's only response and Cal grinned. He was more than tempted to take a picture of his brother in that moment. His hair was still wet and sticking in different directions, his pyjama top buttons had all been matched up to the wrong holes and his face was half buried into his mattress in a way that left his mouth gaping gormlessly.

Another sleepy mumble from Ethan.

"Sorry, what was that?"

" _It was so cold..."_

Cal's good mood dissipated. It didn't take years of university and medical placements to discern what his brother was talking about and he found his eyes drawn instantly to the faint scar visible beneath one of the buttonholes Ethan had missed when readying himself for bed. Without thinking too deeply about it, Cal reached out a hand and grasped his brother's shoulder, the reassuring presence beneath his fingers serving to banish the memory of the thoracoscopy he'd been forced to perform just a few months ago.

He was immensely surprised when Ethan leant into his touch with a drowsy smile and a sleepy, "'t's much better. V'ry warm..."

 _This_ was the moment he wanted a picture of, if only leaving to get his phone wouldn't have alerted Ethan to what he was doing. Maybe if he were less tired, and he didn't have an armful of not-so-baby brother pinning him to the bed, he would have tried to find a way back to his own bedroom. As it was...

"I'm definitely going to tease you about this tomorrow." With a tricky bit of maneuvering, Cal shifted around to place himself more wholly on the mattress. "You're such a bed hog..."

He would never admit it - especially not to his sleeping brother, given the last time he'd tried that - but lying next to Ethan and listening to his deep and even breaths, he was happier than he had been in a long time.

"Goodnight Ethan," he murmured. Then he closed his eyes and let the rhythm of his brother's chest expanding and contracting against his side lull him into slumber.

* * *

 **A/N -** The end! Feedback greatly appreciated, thank you.


End file.
